Trade winds blow in with draft surprises

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, June 29, 1995

That was Joe Smith, the super sophomore from the University of Maryland, who was selected No. 1 by the Golden State Warriors.

And then the Los Angeles Clippers surprised quite a few by making the most questionable move in the opening round of the draft.

The Clippers, with the No. 2 pick, selected highly regarded power forward Antonio McDyess of Alabama. But then the Clippers traded him and guard Randy Woods to the Denver Nuggets for second-year pro Rodney Rogers, a 6-7 power forward, and the No. 15 pick in the draft, which was used to select guard Brent Barry of Oregon State, a graduate of De La Salle High in Concord.

The Orange Country Register reported Thursday that the Clippers-Nuggets deal would be completed Saturday by an exchange of centers, with Brian Williams going to Los Angeles and Elmore Spencer going to Denver.

"I was surprised to be picked by them and I was surprised to be traded," said McDyess, a 6-9, 220-pound forward likened to former Bull Horace Grant.

Other major developments:

* The Toronto Raptors taking 5-10 point guard Damon Stoudamire of Arizona with the No. 7 pick, facilitating a trade of No. 1 expansion pick B.J. Armstrong to the Warriors.

"It's definitely a high probability," Toronto general manager Isiah Thomas said about trading Armstrong.

"B.J. wanted to leave. He said he didn't want to play for an expansion team and we want to help fulfill his wishes."

* Toronto taking Stoudamire apparently wiped out, at least for now, a Rod Strickland deal to Washington. Portland wanted Stoudamire with the eighth pick, which it obtained Tuesday from Detroit, and then would have dealt Strickland.

* Portland selecting Michigan State shooting guard Shawn Respert at No. 8 and trading him to Milwaukee for a 1996 No. 1 pick and Ohio University high-scoring forward Gary Trent.

"I knew something was up when I couldn't get anyone from Milwaukee on the phone," said Trent.

"Milwaukee needs a scorer and a shooter and I feel I can make an immediate contribution," said Respert, the first of three Big 10 players taken by the Bucks.

* The Bullets dealing Rex Chapman, who was the first draft pick of the expansion Charlotte Hornets, to the Miami Heat, possibly to clear salary space to obtain Strickland or sign free agent Dana Barros.

In addition, Dallas worked late into the night trying to get center Bryant Reeves from the Vancouver Grizzlies for several No. 1 draft picks. Reeves, the sixth pick, was the first college senior selected. Fellow senior Ed O'Bannon, who led UCLA to the national title, was taken three spots later, by the Nets.

High school sensation Kevin Garnett of Farragut Academy was selected, as expected, No. 5 by the Minnesota Timberwolves after the projected top four of Smith, McDyess, Jerry Stackhouse (picked by the 76ers) and Rasheed Wallace (Bullets).

"Anyone one of us could have gone anywhere from one to four," said Wallace, who moves into a crowded power forward picture with Chris Webber and Juwan Howard in Washington.

Wisconsin center Rashard Griffith took one of the biggest tumbles in the draft, slipping all the way down to Milwaukee at No. 38.

Also slipping was Arizona State forward Mario Bennett, who was tabbed as a top-15 pick, but went to Phoenix at No. 27, and, to a lesser degree, Duke center Cherokee Parks, who went to Dallas with the 12th pick.

"I can't think of a better young point guard to play with than Jason Kidd," said Parks. "He can get the rock to players."

Also slipping was Arkansas' Corliss Williamson, down to No. 13 at Sacramento.

"I was very close last year to coming out ," said Williamson. "If you look at it financially, I do not think I would have come back for another season. If you look at it as far as maturity and mentality, then I think it was the best decision I made in my life so far."

Perhaps the boldest selection was by Detroit and new general manager / coach Doug Collins, who with the 18th pick took Theo Ratliff, an athletic power forward out of Wyoming considered by most a second-rounder but with lots of potential. Then the Pistons took at No. 19 Randolph Childress of Wake Forest, regarded as the second-best point guard in the draft after Stoudamire.&lt;